Only the Strong, стр. 46
My heart lodged in my throat. It was easy enough to follow the conversation — and I had so many questions — but I felt like an outsider looking in.
“Sami always had the power to save you,” Cernunnos offered. “It was always inside of her. She simply didn’t understand how to tap it. You figured it out when you were young, when your wolf was injured and in terrible pain. You honed the power after that. She simply needed a little push.”
“And you gave it to her even though it wasn’t necessary.”
“I ... want the child to excel,” he said slowly. “Believe it or not, she needs you to do it. I have faith you’ll teach her the right way. So far — and I would deny this if ever pressed on it — you’ve done a marvelous job.
“I wasn’t certain you had it in you when we parted in that cave,” he continued. “You seemed lost and angry ... and unsure what to do. You eventually found yourself. More importantly, you and the wolf found the life you were supposed to live. You raised a very mouthy and dramatic child who has capabilities beyond all our wildest dreams.
“She’ll be called on one day to use that magic.” He held out his hands, as if in apology. “You already know that. She needed you and I made sure she could keep you. I’m not sorry I did it, despite your insistence on being a pain.”
“I’m not sorry you did it either,” she said. “However, I know you’re hiding something. When you get around to telling us, I’ll be ready to listen. Don’t think that I’m so stupid I’m going to fall for whatever it is you’re selling, though.”
“Fine.”
“Great.”
“Good.”
They glowered at each other for a long time and then Cernunnos straightened. “Show me what’s on the other side.”
Zoe went first, which seemed to be expected, and squared her shoulders before stepping through. The waiting room — because that’s how I’d come to think of it — looked exactly the same as the day before. The three doors, evenly spaced, still glimmered in the relative darkness.
“And this is even odder,” Cernunnos murmured, lifting his nose to the air.
“What is he doing?” I asked in a low voice, confused.
Zoe shrugged. She still seemed agitated. “He’s scenting the air. Aric does it all the time. I used to think it was a shifter thing but now I think it’s a man thing. They do it to be annoying.”
“I can hear you when you talk about me,” Cernunnos offered.
“I don’t care.” Zoe made a face. “Tell me what’s behind these doors and I’ll stop talking about you. Better yet, tell me what you’re hiding regarding the doors and I’ll totally do whatever you ask for a full hour ... within reason. I’m not doing any perverted crap no matter what you tell me.”
“You give me a headache,” he groused, rubbing his forehead. “I’m not certain what’s behind the doors. In fact ... .”
I noticed two things at once as he stopped talking and snapped his eyes to me. There was recognition there, fear, and he was suddenly alert and ready for battle. At the same time, I sensed a whoosh of activity behind me. Just as I registered that we were no longer alone, I felt a pair of hands land on my shoulders and drag me back.
Caught off guard, I fought the effort, but I was off balance and there was nothing stopping me from falling through the nearest gate. I called out in alarm, but the noise was lost on my friends because they disappeared from view the second I landed on the other side of the gate.
That was the moment I realized something truly terrible was about to happen.
That was the moment I landed in Hell.
Fifteen
I reacted on instinct and lashed out with my magic, firing blindly at whatever might be surrounding me. Something cried out in a guttural voice to my left but whatever held me didn’t let go. Because it was the only thing I could think to do, I crossed my arms over my chest and grabbed the hands — which felt like claws upon further inspection — and unleashed a wave of fire magic.
The creature behind me screamed in anguish and released me with enough force that I was propelled forward and slammed into the ground. My head hit, although not hard enough to make me lose consciousness. That was the only good thing I had going for me, because when I swiveled to see what I was facing, I found seven revenants advancing.
My mouth went dry as I regarded them, my eyes darting from face to face. I was in a cave of some sort, although where it originated I had no idea. I lifted my hands again, ready to defend myself, but a terrific burst of magic appeared from over my shoulder and careened directly into the nearest three revenants.
“Hello, uglies,” Zoe intoned as she raised hands dripping with yellow fire. “I don’t believe we requested an invitation.” She whipped out her hands, as if in a sideways windmill, and balls of magic slammed into the scrambling revenants. She’d already wounded three on her initial assault and she managed to hobble another two with this attack. That left two standing.
“Well, it appears this was a mistake,” Cernunnos noted as he slid his arm under my legs and hoisted me up. “The best laid plans, huh?” He managed a smile that looked genuine. “We should probably be going. Zoe, see what you can do with this gate once we’re on the other side.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Zoe fired off another round of yellow magic, frowning at the sizzling sound the bolts made when hitting their target. None of the revenants were mortally wounded, though. If anything, they looked angry. “Okay, let’s move this show along, shall we?”
Cernunnos didn’t need to be told twice. He put